Filed: Dec. 27, 2017
Latest Update: Dec. 27, 2017
Summary: OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY'S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA STEVEN P. SHREDER , Magistrate Judge . Plaintiff Antoinette M. Schultz was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Plaintiff originally sought an award of attorney's fees in the amount of $5,660.00, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. 2412(d). See Docket No. 23. The Commissioner subsequently filed stipulated motion, indicating that the parties had agreed to an award o
Summary: OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY'S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA STEVEN P. SHREDER , Magistrate Judge . Plaintiff Antoinette M. Schultz was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Plaintiff originally sought an award of attorney's fees in the amount of $5,660.00, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. 2412(d). See Docket No. 23. The Commissioner subsequently filed stipulated motion, indicating that the parties had agreed to an award of..
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OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY'S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA
STEVEN P. SHREDER, Magistrate Judge.
Plaintiff Antoinette M. Schultz was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Plaintiff originally sought an award of attorney's fees in the amount of $5,660.00, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d). See Docket No. 23. The Commissioner subsequently filed stipulated motion, indicating that the parties had agreed to an award of attorney's fees in the amount of $5,000.00, a reduction of $660.00 from the original fee request. See Docket No. 24.
Upon review of the record herein, the Court finds that the agreed amount is reasonable and that the Commissioner should be ordered to pay it to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. See 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A) ("Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, a court shall award to a prevailing party other than the United States fees and other expenses, in addition to any costs awarded pursuant to subsection (a), incurred by that party in any civil action (other than cases sounding in tort)[.]"); see also Manning v. Astrue, 510 F.3d 1246, 1251 (10th Cir. 2007) ("The EAJA therefore permits attorney's fees reimbursement to financially eligible prevailing parties, who make a proper application, and not to their attorneys.").
Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Plaintiff's Motion for Attorney Fees Pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act [Docket No. 23] is hereby DENIED as moot, and the Commissioner's Stipulated Motion for Award of Attorney Fees Under the Equal Access to Justice Act [Docket No. 24] is hereby GRANTED, to the extent that the Government is hereby ordered to pay the agreed-upon $5,000.00 fee award to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if the Plaintiff's attorney is subsequently awarded any fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406(b)(1), said attorney shall refund the smaller amount of such fees to the Plaintiff pursuant to Weakley v. Bowen, 803 F.2d 575, 580 (10th Cir. 1986).
